Essential oil composition of two Greek Echinops species:: Echinops graecus Miller and Echinops ritro L.

The essential oils from the fresh inflorescences of Echinops graecus and E. ritrow ere analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Methyl chavicol (42.5%) was the dominant component of E. graecus oil. The oil of E. ritro showed (E)-2-hexenal (21.4%), 1,8-cineole (16.3%) and p-cymene (12.2%) as the major constituents.